Why did I choose Just Sam as my first ever release? Well, if you have read the story, you will already know some of the history, but you have not heard all of it, or the recent updates.

Sam had been hanging around since the day we moved in. At first, we thought she was our cat, Luna, who had escaped. But Luna was right there on the deck watching Sam move around. So, we started leaving food out for her. This went on for months; she would eat and take off before we could ever get close enough to pat her. I thought little of it at the time and assumed she was just a neighbour's pet.

One day, after putting in a massive stint writing my Roman novel, A Baker’s Toil, I walked away from my computer for a moment and noticed Sam watching from the bin. As I was making a coffee, I realised she had followed me to the kitchen and was now watching me through the ranch-slider.

I had a sudden thought: I wonder what her story is? This came after seeing her bloated stomach and her torn ear.

I put some food out for her. She backed off a little at first, then stepped forward and stuffed her face. Right then, I started imagining life from Sam’s point of view and what it would have been like for her. I began jotting down notes in between proofing my book, which still had no name at the time. Back then, Sam did not have a name either; my wife and I eventually decided on "Sam" because we were unsure of her gender.

What started as a quiet observation during a coffee break became a story of survival and a way to advocate for cats from similar backgrounds.